through 10/24/12

October 24, 2012

"What happened to the vanilla Chobani? I haven't seen it for weeks, and I miss it!"

Unfortunately our supplier has been out of the vanilla Chobani for an extended period. We're working to see if one of our other vendors can bring Chobani into their product list so we'll have more than one source. Stay tuned...

"Hi! I am a huge fan of the coffee cart. My one suggestion is: is there any way you can PLEASE add more vegan options? I am lactose intolerant, and although there are plenty of vegetarian options, there is cheese on almost everything. It would be easy to not put cheese in the shakers, or to have it as an option on the side. I love the hummus sandwich but it is my only sandwich option as far as I know. Thanks so much!"

We chatted with Auntie Em's chef. The items they make exclusively for the Coffee Cart are on a three week rotation. The upcoming week (October 28) is "Week 2" Here's an update of items that Auntie Em's confirms are lactose free:

Good News: Auntie Em's has agreed to make a new lactose-free sandwich for week 2, which will debut the week of November 18.

"Thanks for having vegan pizza made at the grill this Thursday! Aside from the crust being soggy in the middle, it was very very tasty!! I know we can ask to have a vegan one made, but as we are always busy, it is great to have super convenient vegan pizza sometimes!"

We're so glad you enjoyed these NEW vegan recipes - submitted by an Oxy community member. The Summer Squash Enchiladas were such a hit that we made a seasonal variation - Butternut Squash Enchiladas - using the same recipe, and served them today, October 24 :-)

"Both Homestyle meals on Wednesday the 24th were awesome! The butternut squash enchiladas and beans and the millet chili and potatoes and kale... very good!"

Yes, we do make a fine Gumbo! Check out Shrimp Gumbo, this Tuesday 10/30 for dinner at Homestyle. And Sous Chef Conrad promises that some upcoming chilly Friday he'll plan a full-on Gumbo Station for a lunch special ;-)

"It's hard to find a variety of healthy foods at the Cooler. I think adding brown rice to the menu would be a simple way to expand healthy options!"

Healthy - yes, simple - unfortunately not. The Tiger Cooler suffers from a severe shortage of electrical capacity, cooking and preparation space and storage space, given the volume of customers and your understandable desires for variety, including healthy options. The white rice is cooked in a counter-top rice cooker, and in order to keep up with demand, we use two, so there's always one batch on the way to being ready. Adding brown rice would require at least one other cooker, two if we wanted to have uninterrupted supply. There simply isn't enough counter space or electrical circuits to add another rice cooker.

Check out our resource guides for a list of healthy options at the Tiger Cooler.

"it would be nice to have sautéed/steamed vegetables available at all times. The only options currently are grilled zucchini and asparagus, or raw vegetables from the salad bar. The other vegetables at the grill often are coated in sauce full of sugar."

The grill station usually carries unadulterated broccoli, but it doesn't have a steamer, nor a stove top for sautéeing vegetables. That said, there are some simple tricks you can use to get the vegetables you want, either sautéed or steamed:

Check out what's offered at the Homestyle Station. Many vegetables served there are steamed or sautéed. Request a small or medium side dish.

Take your choice of vegetables from the Salad Bar to the Pasta Station. The cooks there will either sautée them, or steam them by request (there are squeeze bottles of water at the station). Should one of our cooks be unfamiliar with this option, any manager or chef/manager will assist you with your request.

Put your choice of vegetables from the Salad Bar into a melamine bowl, add water and cover with a plate - then microwave for 1 minute - or to taste. CAVEAT: When you use a bowl at the Salad Bar, the amount you will be charged is at the discretion of the cashier - depending on how much you put into the bowl.

"I love the vegan cookies, can you please bake them more often. THANK YOU!"

Our bakers appreciate your comments and always try to keep our vegans well supplied. Unlike many of our other baked goods, the vegan (as well as the gluten free) goodies are all made from scratch, so it all depends on how much time the bakers have, relative to their other responsibilities :-)

"I would love for the marketplace to offer Caesar dressing in the salad area. There are lots of dressings but no Caesar! Thank you!"

You can probably see that the salad bars are smaller than we would like, and space is at a premium. We hope to buy new, larger ones within 18 months. Until then, our priority is to put the most popular items out, as well as diverse selections. Ranch and Bleu Cheese are the most popular creamy dressings, Italian is the most popular vegan dressing, and the other dressings balance out the need for fat-free and organic selections.For now we hope you can enjoy Caesar dressing at the Cooler - where it's always available (and you can buy packets), and the frequent weekend Caesar Salads at the Marketplace.

"I and many other Oxy students have been scolded by Marketplace staff for putting salads in cereal bowls instead of on plates. I think this is ridiculous. It is far easier to eat salad out of a bowl. I would love it if the MP would provide bowls at the salad station, or at least tolerate us using cereal bowls."

To be clear - while we prefer you use standard size plates, you MAY use bowls at the Salad Bar if you prefer - this is stated on a sign a the cereal station. CAVEAT: (a repeat from above): When you use a bowl at the Salad Bar, the amount you will be charged is at the discretion of the cashier - depending on how much you put into the bowl . ALSO, the cashier may at any time ask you if you have anything at the bottom of the bowl. Our intention is not to scold, but unfortunately some customers have been known to cover up a more expensive item with lettuce :-(